Mark "The Man", an Australian Palestinian supporter attended the pro-Zionist rally the other day, to interact with and engage in some 'enlightened' discussion, here's how it went:

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“The Zionist rally was certainly an order of magnitude smaller than the Justice for Palestine rally (about 300 compared to estimated 3000) and was a very monocultural group compared to the multicultural JFP rally which comprised many cultural and religious groups. The Australian Jewish News, of course, doubled the real number at the Zionist rally and added some, with an estimate of 700.

Wearing the kafiya at a Zionist rally makes one a bit obvious. I was inviting some rational discussion which seemed to be lacking in Melbourne. Two different scripts were being read. And I was happy to partake of non-violent discussion about issues.

The first placard I came to, read “Who broke the ceasefire? Hamas”. He asked the question, so I reminded the man holding it that The Age reported 2 tank invasions into Gaza (e.g. on 4/11 and 18/11) accompanied by bulldozers looking for more Rachel Corries. The IDF spokesperson at the time reported this to be “routine”. Then, of course there were the airstrikes on Gaza, the day before the expiry of this “ceasefire” (The Age 18/12), provoking the home-made rocket fire. The Placard man said with a sneer, he “didn’t care” about the facts.

Then, there were the 2 biggest banners on the centre of Parliament steps, saying that God had given all of Biblical Israel to the Jews for ever. I asked the man propping one end of this if this did not go against Israel policy of a two state solution and also what Colin Rubenstein and Danny Lamm were saying at their podium. The propman remained only a prop and said nothing. Then, there was the placard saying that Israel was only for Jews – no Arabs allowed, yet the supposed policy is that Israeli Arabs have equal rights as Jewish Israelis, but it seems that Bishop Desmond Tutu and President Carter may be right after all. Israel is an apartheid state after all. If the equivatent banners were at a pro-Palestinian rally there would be screams of racism. But not here and not rfrom our governmental representatives, Michael Danby (ALP) and Mitch Fifield (Lib).

A few Zionists volunteered to talk to me but rapidly ran out of their memorized propaganda lines when I reminded them of the published facts. That Gaza had been under blockade restricting food, fuel, funds and medicines for over 2 years. Palestinians had less freedom than prisoners in a huge concentration camp. Their enforced concentration has made it the most densely populated place on earth. The Israelis have deliberately crippled the economy and children are growing up stunted by the malnutrition and constant Israeli terror. Remember the 13 year old girl, Iman Al-Hams, shot while going to school by IDF captain R. in a watchtower 800 metres away. He then finished her off with an entire magazine in her little body. Or the family picnicking on a Gazan beach all but one of whom were killed by shells of an Israeli warship.

There were similarities to the Warsaw Ghetto which 66 years ago had also been under blockade for over 2 years, until the Nazis decided the pace of extermination needed to be hastened. Were not Hamas much like the Judenrat, trying to defy one of the world’s top Masters of War by managing the community’s very survival. When Zionists had heard enough of my calm reminders of these events, they either retreated or turned abusive. One Zionist said who got lost for words said, “Go bugger yourself”. I suppose he was recalling the direct quote from the eloquent current Vice–President of the USA, Dick Cheney. Another fellow just wanted to sock me and was twice escorted away by security.

Without mentioning the gross death statistics that suggest ‘massacre” rather than a ‘war’, Rubenstein, Lamm, Michael Danby and Mitch Fifield all parroted that it was “Israel under attack” (not even a mention of asymmetric warfare). There was also repeated mention of ultra-extremists down the road at the other rally, who read such arch-villains as- Robert Fisk!!! He is widely acclaimed as the world’s best journalists but not by Zionist who expect all reporting to pass the Jerusalem/Tel Aviv censor. Fisk was the first reporter to observe the massacred bodies of the Sabra and Shatilla refugees, 1800 people exterminated by Sharon (see the Israeli film, Waltzing with Bashir).

There were police to protect me here. I perhaps should have been scared by the plain clothes security men with guns bulging under there jackets (Mossad?), but they aren’t dumb. They will get me if they want to, when the cameras are gone.”